


the king of limbs

by lordbirthdayxv



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Body Horror, Dark Comedy, Eventual Smut, M/M, Slow Burn, tonal dissonance galore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:35:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27498772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordbirthdayxv/pseuds/lordbirthdayxv
Summary: Changkyun just really wants to fuck, die, die fucking, or all of the above. Kihyun is incredibly confused and kinda turned on.
Relationships: Im Changkyun | I.M/Yoo Kihyun
Comments: 17
Kudos: 48





	the king of limbs

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this might be a bit confusing at the beginning because it opens in media res but it does have a plot. i think. im not sure. anyway, enjoy!
> 
> p.s. please read the tags because there's a lot of violence and blood.  
> 

When he first lays eyes on him, Changkyun is far too drunk to let it get to him.

It comes in waves afterwards, blue, green, purple, and a boy in the middle of it all, a body among many others but distinct in a manner that makes Changkyun feel like there isn’t enough air in the room. And maybe there isn’t because it’s the weekend and the club is full to bursting and Minhyuk’s increasingly loud voice manages to grate on every single one of his nerves. He wants to turn and snap at him but cannot bring himself to look away from the boy, feeling certain deep down that if he did, he would never see him again. 

_Turn around, look at me, please._

Jooheon says something he doesn’t catch and hauls Minhyuk away to the bathroom but Changkyun cannot bring himself to care because the song has switched to a maddeningly metallic beat and the boy is looking back at him now with eyes that shine gold even from this distance. He blinks and Changkyun’s feet are moving forward before his brain can catch up. He stumbles, rights himself, looks up, and the boy is gone. 

He panics and wades into the sea of people without a second thought. Pungent sweat and alcohol fills his nose and he gags, feeling nauseous and lightheaded. The music is too loud and there are hands pushing against him, clammy palms sticking to his sweat-slick skin and he wants to scream in frustration. Someone grinds against his ass and he snarls, turns around with an arm raised but doesn't know whom to hit. His body is beginning to feel leaden and angry tears prick his eyes when the writhing bodies part like the Red Sea and there he is. He stands looking directly at Changkyun, a little green light blinking on a faraway shore. He smiles, turns and begins walking away. 

Changkyun pushes forward like a drowning man kicking for air. _Cannot lose you_. The irrationality of the thought strikes him immediately but it doesn’t matter because the boy is slipping away and Changkyun needs to catch up to him. At long last, his hand finds a slender wrist in the darkness that clings to the corners of the club, away from the flashing lights on the dance floor.

“Please,” he gasps, not knowing what he is pleading for but the boy, merciful and lovely, draws him close and ghosts his fragrant breath across Changkyun’s cheek.

“You found me,” and Changkyun is sure there is relief there, layered over a deep hunger that rumbles like an impatient beast. He shudders and falls forward into his arms.

“What is your name?” the boy whispers in his ear and his voice is a siren call. Changkyun wants to tell him everything and even if he doesn’t, he knows it will claw its way past his lips anyway.

“Changkyun.”

“Changkyun…” he sounds it out, wears it like a sleeve on his tongue. “Changkyun. I’ll take care of you. Will you let me take care of you?”

Changkyun nods quickly and for a moment, the room spins. The boy hums sweetly in his ear and holds him close. 

“Everything’s going to be okay, Changkyun. Do you trust me?”

_No, I don’t even know your name-_

But his tongue has a mind of its own and says _yes_ and the boy smiles at him again. Takes his hand and leads him out of the club into the powdery night air. In the lemon glow of the streetlights, he looks unearthly, his beauty almost unsettling in its perfection.

“What do I call you?” Changkyun asks, dazed. 

Red, deep red lips tug upwards and pull away the rest of Changkyun’s sanity with them. 

“Kihyun,” he says and then he is walking again. Changkyun, struck speechless, follows. 

They drive up the hills to a house looming over the city. It sits alone, tucked away behind a wall of trees and it hits Changkyun how far away from home he is. He has never come up here before, none of the people he knows are fortunate enough to see this side of city, and he feels an old feeling of insecurity set in. His fingers itch to fix his hair, to check if his makeup is alright. He had dressed for a night out with friends and his linen slacks and dark top feel all too casual. He wonders if he looks cheap to Kihyun and his heart sinks.

But Kihyun is parking at the end of the long driveway and opening his door and it ceases to matter because he is here now and Kihyun must like some part of him to have brought him home. The house is deathly quiet and Changkyun cannot make out much in the darkness as Kihyun pulls him along toward a staircase. Changkyun’s hand slides against the banister and comes away cold and wet and he starts. 

Kihyun stops and turns around. “Is everything alright?”

Except it is not because even in the dim moonlight pouring in from the window next to the stairs, Changkyun can clearly see the deep red coating his hands. The smell hits soon after, tangy copper that makes its way from his nose straight to his head and makes him dizzy.

“I-,” he looks up at Kihyun and something has shifted there. His face looks gaunt, skin stretched over cheekbones that are impossibly sharp, the corners of his eyes lifted almost to a point. 

_Had he always looked like that?_

He is smiling again but it looks like a poor parody, as if the muscles around his mouth are imitating an action he has seen on others but never performed himself. Changkyun swallows and slowly steps back down the stairs. Kihyun doesn’t move, smile frozen on his lips.

“I should go,” Changkyun croaks out. His eyes dart to the marble banister behind Kihyun and his stomach churns because there is red painting its surface and puddling on the steps below. Thick, black as ink, but the smell gives it away. “My friends- I never told them- they might be worried-”

Kihyun slowly moves down a step, bright eyes fixed on him like a target. Changkyun takes a step back. And another one. Stumbles at the bottom and falls flat on his ass. Kihyun laughs but it is distorted, a strange inhuman sound that makes Changkyun’s blood run cold. He watches, frozen in terror, as Kihyun crouches forward on all fours and balances himself on the very tips of his fingers and toes. Shadows unfurl behind him and Changkyun’s breath catches in his throat. _Tails_. Plural. Long, sleek, the color of warm caramel, swishing halo-like behind Kihyun’s beautiful head. 

“Oh honey,” he purrs, stalking forward with all the grace of a predator, “Nobody’s going to notice if you’re gone.” 

He pounces and Changkyun screams, arms and legs flailing and propelling him backwards. He isn’t fast enough. Kihyun is on him in a second. He grabs the back of Changkyun’s neck and smashes his face against the gleaming marble floor. Changkyun hears a crack and a balloon of painful heat explodes in his nose. 

And then a voice, all cut-glass and silver: “ _Stay_.”

He falls limp immediately. Hot tears prick his eyes and blood clogs his nose, flows into his mouth when he opens it to breathe. 

“I-”

“Quiet.”

Sharp nails dig into his scalp and he is gripped by his hair and peeled off the floor on to his back. He whimpers pathetically, pain shooting up his face like a bullet, blinks tears out of his eyes to look up at Kihyun and it happens. Before, he had known it in theory, of the pinprick that became the beginning of time. Now, he lives it. Sees his entire existence contract to a point between Kihyun’s eyes, and expand outward. It tilts his world off its axis and he stares as Kihyun blinks and the universe goes out like a light. Every single cell screams at him to _run_ , run as far away from him as his legs can carry him because nothing should have this kind of power. But his heart claws its way out of his throat and crawls to lie at Kihyun’s feet, where he knows it will be crushed and eaten raw. 

“I know you,” he babbles, chokes and coughs around blood. Kihyun cocks his head to a side and Changkyun’s chest aches. He clears his throat. “I’ve read stories.”

Kihyun grins then, his eyes lighting up with a horrible light that makes Changkyun’s skin crawl and his cheeks warm simultaneously. 

“Have you now?” he sounds pleased. Something like pride swells in Changkyun’s chest and he quickly pushes it back down and nods dumbly. Kihyun leans forward and licks blood crusted along the corner of his mouth.

“Then you must know what I’m about to do to you.”

Changkyun trembles, tries to put some distance between them but Kihyun reaches out a hand and slams it against his throat. Changkyun gasps for air. Kihyun pulls him closer and licks a long stripe from his chin up to his nose, sucks on the space above his top lip and cleans it of all blood. Changkyun whimpers.

“Are- are you going to k-kill me?”

He must sound as pathetic as he feels because Kihyun grins a razor-sharp smile and tightens his fingers around his throat. _No air_. Changkyun scrabbles uselessly at his arm as lightheadedness grows like a mushroom cloud in his head. Kihyun will kill him, he knows, and yet, he is abruptly let go. He wheezes and scrambles backwards and the air entering his lungs burns on its way in. 

Mere inches from him, Kihyun watches, amusement flickering on his lovely face. And then he speaks.

“Come here.”

And Changkyun does immediately. Crawls forward like an obedient house pet and lets clawed fingers run through his hair. Kihyun tilts his head to a side and presses his nose where neck meets shoulder and inhales deeply. Changkyun feels a shudder run through his body like a current. An embarrassing noise slips past his lips and Kihyun goes still.

“What’s this now?” he pulls his head back by his hair and Changkyun whimpers again, his gut tightening uncomfortably. Kihyun drags his nails along his neck and presses a sharp tip into the skin above his sternum. Changkyun mewls and is promptly horrified at himself. Kihyun clicks his tongue.

“Oh my,” he croons, “are you enjoying this?”

It is humiliating. Changkyun squeezes his eyes shut and nods. Kihyun lets out a peal of derisive laughter. 

“How precious.”

Two fingers tap against his chin and Changkyun cannot help but open his mouth and let them slide in over his tongue. They push down, forcing open his jaw until it hurts. He keens shamelessly and Kihyun laughs again, pushing ever so slowly into his mouth until he hits the back of his throat. Changkyun’s eyes roll back into his head as drool pools around the corners of his mouth and drips down his jaw. 

“Oh I _like_ you,” he slowly fucks Changkyun’s mouth with his fingers, clearly enjoying himself, “you’re a slutty little thing, aren’t you?”

Changkyun gurgles incoherently until Kihyun removes his fingers.

“ _Please_ ,” he gasps, hands massaging his throat. Kihyun stands up and dusts himself, moving to walk back up the stairs. Changkyun has a moment to panic before one of the tails wraps around his throat in a chokehold and drags him across the floor behind Kihyun.

He is speaking again, climbing the stairs at a leisurely pace and Changkyun cannot breathe.

“I don’t usually play with my food,” he drawls. Stops and turns around, eyes glinting. “But you’re so pathetically easy, I’m inclined to make an exception this time. Don’t you feel lucky?”

Changkyun has neither time nor the strength to answer. Spots dot his vision, the seat of his slacks wet with the puddles of blood smattering the stairs. He is dragged into a bedroom and thrown at the foot of the bed.

“I’m going to fuck you up, baby,” Kihyun’s voice is thick, hot and primal as he grasps Changkyun’s neck and dangles him up in the air in front of his face, “I’m going to break your bones and take bites out of your heart until there’s nothing left.”

And there is something truly, terribly wrong with Changkyun because the threat replaces fight and flight with _fuck_. Kihyun’s eyes travel down to the slowly spreading stain at the front of his pants and he raises an eyebrow in disdain.

“You poor, miserable creature. Is this doing it for you?” 

He tosses Changkyun like a rag doll on top of the perfectly made bed and climbs after on top of him, hooks a finger into the front of Changkyun’s shirt and pushes down until it pops a button. Changkyun shuts his eyes and gnaws at his lower lip.

“Answer me, you piece of shit. Do you want me to fuck you?”

“Yes,” Changkyun says in a quivering voice. Kihyun pushes a knee between his legs with bruising force and he almost sobs.

“Speak up while you still have a tongue, Changkyun.”

Changkyun whimpers with fear and need and looks up at Kihyun, tears blurring his vision. “ _Yes_ , please, I want you to fuck me, Kihyun-”

Kihyun coos softly and leans over him. “Good boy, Changkyun, good boy.” He cups a hand around Changkyun’s clothed dick and squeezes. Changkyun gasps in pain, reaches out his arms to pull Kihyun in, and is immediately slapped away. Kihyun grabs his thighs and spreads his legs open, looming over him with a malicious smile.

“Except, I don’t want to fuck you. Do you want to know why?”

Changkyun’s eyes widen and cold dread creeps up his spine. “No- No p-please I want you to-”

Kihyun grabs his jaw and squeezes until his mouth is too misshapen to form words. 

“I asked you a question, little slut. Do you want to know why?”

Changkyun chokes around a sob and nods as best as he can. Kihyun grins in unadulterated delight.

“Because gods don’t fuck human trash, baby,” he presses a palm flat against Changkyun’s chest and squeezes his cock with the other until he screams in pain, “in fact, you’re so pathetic, I don’t even want to eat you anymore.”

_No, oh no, no, no, not this, not like this._

“P-please, oh god please,” Changkyun sobs, ignoring the sharp pain in his nose and the fresh flood of blood that flows from it, “Kihyun please I want this so much, I’ll be good for you, I promise I’ll be good for you, you can do whatever you want with me you can kill me or eat me just please please _please_ -”

A strange fear of abandonment sinks its sharp teeth into his heart and the earlier feeling of inadequacy returns full force. He doesn’t want to die just yet, not because he attaches any value to his life, but because here is a god, kneeling between his legs, and he had picked Changkyun out of the thousands in this city, held him close and given him his name. There had to be something there.

“Please,” he breathes, reaches out to touch Kihyun’s cheek and Kihyun is too stunned to stop him, “do whatever you like, whatever you want, but please, please _do it to me_.”

Kihyun stares down at him, unmoving, his brow slowly creasing. Changkyun holds his breath and waits for him to laugh. He doesn’t.

Instead, he straightens up and gets off the bed. Changkyun squeaks desperately and scrambles after him, grabs his sleeve and refuses to let go. 

“No no no please, don’t go-”

Kihyun looks at him, his face impassive, and slowly removes his hand. 

“We have to go, Changkyun.”

Changkyun shakes his head vigorously, blood and tears smearing on his face. He has opened his mouth to beg some more when it hits him.

 _We_. Kihyun had said _we_.

His heart hammers in his chest as Kihyun smooths his clothes and heads to the door.

“You don’t want to be here alone now, do you?”

It is enough for Changkyun to follow him. They walk back down the dark hallway and it smells worse now. He tries to look for the source but Kihyun presses a firm hand to his back and tells him to keep walking. Out on the drive way, he tells Changkyun to wait by the front gate and disappears inside the garage. Changkyun waits, every nerve on fire and eyes trained for any sign of him, hoping desperately that he comes back. He does after what seems like hours, walks up to Changkyun and gives him a once over.

“I hope you didn’t drop anything back there.”

Changkyun blinks. “What? No I have everything-,” he pats his pockets for his phone and wallet and Kihyun nods, satisfied. 

“Good. Time to go.”

Behind him, the house erupts with a deafening boom and goes up in flames but before Changkyun can so much as scream, he is falling face forward into comfortable darkness. 

He comes to in his own bed. 

The sun is up and in his face, he is in his pajamas and his phone is ringing insistently. There is another, louder sound from somewhere outside his bedroom that pounds like nails into his head. Disoriented and bleary-eyed, he blindly reaches over the nightstand for his phone and sends it clattering across the room.

“Oh for fu-” he scrambles forward after it and grabs it, swiping to answer the call, “hello?”

“You have three fucking seconds to open your goddamn door, Im Changkyun!” Minhyuk. He looks out into the hall through his open bedroom door. _Oh_.

“Wait, wait,” he clambers to his feet and promptly stubs his toe against the dresser, “god fucking dammit fuck shit _ow_ , I’m coming!”

By the time he limps to the door, Minhyuk has thankfully stopped trying to wake his neighbors. He looks livid, however. Behind him is a nervous Jooheon, looking up and down the corridor for people to apologize to. 

Minhyuk brushes past Changkyun without so much as a hello and whirls around, hands planted on his hips. “Mind telling us where the fuck you’ve been? And Jesus, what the hell happened to your face??”

Changkyun lets Jooheon in and closes the door. “Good morning to you too, I guess,” he mumbles. Minhyuk looks unimpressed.

“It’s past noon. And you didn’t answer any of my questions.”

Changkyun shrugs and walks to the kitchen. “I don’t really remember. I was with someone and then-,” he stops in his tracks, the fuzziness clearing very, very slowly and giving way to golden eyes and white mottled with red. 

“Oh,” he breathes and leans against the counter for support. Jooheon comes up behind him and puts a hand on his shoulder. 

“Changkyun?”

Changkyun laughs, eyes wide, and turns around to face his friends. “You won’t believe last night.”

“You mean the night before last,” Minhyuk says, an eyebrow raised, “today’s Sunday, Changkyun.”

Changkyun stares, jaw hanging open. Minhyuk gives him ten seconds to process it before jumping back in.

“Where were you? We almost called the police. Do you have any idea how worried we were?? You just up and disappeared at the club and I gave you space ‘cause sure, maybe you’d found dick and maybe it was really good but afterglow doesn’t fucking last _this_ long-”

“Okay, just-,” Changkyun steers him out of the kitchen to the living room, “just sit, I’ll tell you everything,” he throws a look over his shoulder, “Heoney can you grab an ice pack, please? Thanks.”

He doesn’t speak for a while after they’ve all settled down. His head still throbs as if someone has reached inside and rearranged it and his nose is at least not broken. He presses the ice pack to his face and tries to put it all together. He remembers the kaleidoscope of the club and then the beautiful stranger. Blood on a staircase and crying in a bed. And the fire…

“There was a fire,” he says at last and raises his eyes, “was there anything about a fire on the news?”

Jooheon and Minhyuk exchange a glance and Jooheon looks at Changkyun.

“Changkyun,” he says, voice laced with concern, “did you- did you-?”

“ _No_ , for fucks sake-”

“Then why is that relevant??”

“Look just tell me if there was a fire the night I disappeared. Up in the hills.” He fixes the two of them with a look. “Well?”

Minhyuk nods slowly. “Yeah… some mansion burned down. Family of four. They’re missing.”

“They’re not gonna find them,” Changkyun mumbles and Jooheon visibly pales.

“What the- Changkyun?? What do you mean??”

“Kid, don’t tell me you have something to do with it,” Minhyuk squeaks, eyes wide, “I’ve put up with all of your weird bullshit but murder is stretching it!”

“And arson,” Jooehon supplies helpfully. Changkyun casts them an annoyed look.

“Will you two let me talk?? Jesus.”

Minhyuk sniffs delicately. “Fine. Explain then. Tell us everything.”

Changkyun nods. “But first, you have to promise me something.” He waits for them to nod and continues. “You won’t laugh.”

Minhyuk blinks and Jooheon opens his mouth dumbly. Changkyun sighs. 

“Just- okay let me ask you this. Do you know what a- um-,” he cringes, knowing how it is going to sound, “Do you know what a k-kumiho is?”

Jooheon nods, still confused. “Sure, I mean. I’ve read stories.”

“Right so, um, what if I told you that they’re real?”

He gets the response he had known he would get. Minhyuk immediately dissolves into a fit of laughter. Jooheon throws him a disapproving glare and leans forward, his lips pursed in a tight smile.

“Changkyun. We were really worried about you. Any time would be a good time for your stupid shit except right now.”

“I’m telling the truth! The guy that picked me up was a kumiho and he tried to eat me! He’s the one that set the house on fire, I swear!”

Minhyuk is still giggling and holding on to Jooheon’s arm to keep from falling off the sofa. “Oh g-god, I’m dying-”

“Can you stop laughing? He might have gotten a concussion or something.” Jooheon shrugs Minhyuk off and advances toward Changkyun, “Did he hit you anywhere else? Are you bleeding? Let me check.”

Changkyun swats his hands away and scoots further down the sofa, scowling at him and self-consciously cupping his hands around his still swollen nose. “Dude, I’m fine, seriously I didn’t hit my head.” He holds his head in his hands and swears. “He took me to the house and I thought I was getting laid, okay? But then I saw the blood and it clicked but I also really, really wanted him to fuck me but he said he wouldn’t ‘cause he was a god and I cried like a little bitch and then he set the house on fire and the next thing I know, I’m in my bed and you guys are trying to get me evicted.”

He looks up. Minhyuk is trying exceedingly hard to keep the smile off his face and Jooheon looks politely bewildered, bordering on calling for medical help.

“Kumiho aren’t gods,” he says after a long minute. 

Changkyun levels him with a flat look. “Really? That’s all you got from that?”

Jooheon shrugs. “You got your lore wrong, man. What can I say.”

“I didn’t get my fucking- wait,” Changkyun squints in confusion, “they aren’t gods?”

“Nope. Demons yeah, but no gods. Also very, very not real, might I add.”

“Dude, he was _there_ and he literally wanted to _eat_ me-”

“Well,” Minhyuk breaks in delightedly, “Why didn’t he?”

Changkyun stops and scratches his chin, thrown off guard. “I- I don’t know actually… he said he was gonna… and then he didn’t…” he feels his stomach dropping as the memory reassembled in his head. _Gods don’t fuck human trash, baby…_

He presses the heels of his palms against his eyes and breathes hard. His tender nose stings sharply as tears squeeze their way past his fingers. Deep down, he knows he should be grateful to have escaped with his life with a few bruises and a fucked up nose as the only souvenirs but somehow, it feels very much a pyrrhic victory. 

“Changkyun, hey,” Jooheon says gently, putting an arm around his shoulder as he sniffles. Minhyuk comes over to sit at his feet as well, all traces of laughter gone, concern shining in his eyes. 

“Hey, Kyunnie, are you okay?” he reaches for Changkyun’s hands and pries them away from his face. Changkyun swallows and cries softly. 

“I- I asked him to- but he didn’t- he didn’t-” he wipes hard at his face but the tears won’t stop. He is aware of his friends’ confusion, knows they don’t believe him, but in the face of his abandonment it counts as nothing. Kihyun had erased his tracks and dumped Changkyun at his house. He had left and the fact that he hadn’t even fed on him like the others makes an ugly feeling uncoil in the pit of Changkyun’s belly. He remembers begging, desperate and pathetic, and wonders if it disgusted Kihyun. It probably did. 

“Okay, look. The important thing is that you’re safe,” Minhyuk says, rubbing his thumb comfortingly over the back of his hand, “whatever happened, happened. Don’t cry, Kyunnie, that asshole isn’t worth it.”

“Yeah,” Jooheon nods, “honestly, it’s his loss.”

Changkyun hears their reassurances and files them away with other meaningless things. His friends stay for a while. Minhyuk talks his ear off and Jooheon orders food. They watch some sitcom reruns together and with final words of encouragement, the two of them leave. 

Changkyun closes and locks the door and sinks to his knees against it. His mind keeps circling back to what Jooheon had said and now that he had left, Changkyun could admit that his mythology was a bit rusty. He pulls out his phone and decides to let Google decide. Sure enough, the Wikipedia page proves enough to confirm. But the confirmation only makes matters worse. Had Kihyun lied to him? And if he had, was it because he regretted picking Changkyun up? Changkyun’s tongue suddenly feels dry and prickly in his mouth. Was he bad enough to not even be considered prey? 

His bones ache and a deep tiredness sets in everywhere. The distance from the door to his bed feels miles long and no part of him wants to traverse it, so he leans his head against the wood and drifts off to sleep, only to dream of long, slender fingers that skip over his skin and a low, raspy voice, whispering something like a spell. He wants to say something in return but he is missing his tongue and watching helplessly as Kihyun pulls away from him. He takes a few steps away and then looks over his shoulder. His mouth opens and his lips form a soft _hey_.

“Hey,” it comes from close to his ear, followed by a hand gripping and shaking his shoulder with some force. Changkyun makes a small noise of discomfort, slowly opens his eyes, and promptly screams. 

Kihyun lets out a long-suffering sigh and clamps a hand over his mouth. It hits his nose and Changkyun screams harder.

“Jesus fuck, can you shut up? It’s just me.”

Changkyun looks at him with eyes as wide as dinner plates and he huffs. “Are you going to scream again? Because if you do I will leave immediately.”

Changkyun’s heart rate spikes and he does his best to curb his panic before shaking his head. Kihyun searches his face, eyes sharp, and finally removes his hand. Changkyun groans and gently clutches his nose. 

“You scared me,” he says, catching his breath. He stops to take a proper look at Kihyun’s face. It has barely been a couple of days but he feels all the relief of reunion after a prolonged absence. A blush creeps up his cheeks and his stupid heart begins thrashing again. Kihyun looks beautiful. He clears his throat. 

“What are you doing here?” His eyes light up. “Are you here to finally eat me?”

Kihyun backs away like he’s been burned and stares at him in disbelief. “I came to check up on you, you little freak.” He narrows his eyes and his chin crinkles like a walnut. “Were you- were you looking forward to being eaten?!”

Changkyun flushes and nods, eyes still bright. Kihyun blinks very deliberately, as if processing it. He looks like he’s failing. 

“You- _no_. No, I’m not here to eat you, you idiot.”

Changkyun pouts despite himself and leans forward. His neck cracks and Kihyun winces. 

“Why would you come to check up on me? I’m totally okay.” He rubs his neck gingerly and only now feels how cramped his entire body is. He rolls his shoulders and they crack uncomfortably loud. “Are you like, sure you aren’t here for dinner?”

Kihyun makes a horrified face and pulls him to his feet so fast that his vision swims for a few seconds. His spine cracks when he straightens up. 

“I’m sure and- would you fucking stop that? It makes me want to eat my own fingers.”

Changkyun hums as Kihyun pulls him to the bedroom. “Mm autophagy, sexy. Wait why are we going to my bedroom? Are we gonna fuck?!”

Kihyun groans in frustration. “No, you absolute fuckwit, you were sleeping on the floor.” He points to the bed with a pained expression on his face. “Sleep in your fucking bed.”

Changkyun rolls his eyes and gets underneath the covers. He pulls them up to his chin and stares at Kihyun with what he hopes comes across as disinterest. 

“Right. Forgot gods like you don’t get with trash like me.”

He watches carefully as an interesting combination of emotions plays across Kihyun’s face before he schools his expression. “Right.” He clears his throat and turns to the window, which Changkyun’s notes is wide open. “I have to go now. Goodbye.”

“Wait!” Changkyun throws off the covers and quickly climbs over to the edge of the bed. Kihyun has paused with one leg on the windowsill, an eyebrow quirked up questioningly. Changkyun’s heart pounds as sweat slicks his palms. He licks his lips nervously and tries to think of an excuse to make him stay but his brain is still processing Kihyun’s presence in his apartment and not handling that very well. 

“Will- will I see you again?”

It is just pitiful enough to elicit a comforting answer, but Kihyun looks at him for a moment before shaking his head, his face blank. “Goodbye, Changkyun.”

“But I would like to-” 

He is gone, the night breeze fluttering the curtains inwards the only sign of his having been there. 

“-see you again,” Changkyun whispers, cocooning himself in blankets with heart heavy as a boulder. Sleep doesn’t come after that. He spends the night with his eyes glued to the window, hoping, praying that Kihyun takes pity on his pathetic self and comes back, if only to debase and hurt him. But of course he doesn’t and as the sun climbs over the horizon, Changkyun’s eyes have sagged under the weight of restless sleeplessness and his bones have hollowed out with a deep want. He wants to burrow under the covers and pine for him until it is so palpable a thing that it lures Kihyun back to him. Then he remembers he has class in exactly two hours and puts that plan on hold. 

He takes a cold shower and gets dressed. The walk to the bus stop is a dismal one because The Trapeze Swinger comes on shuffle and he feels obligated to feel sad. He has Visual Language first thing in the morning and Jooheon is waiting in front of the hall, two travel cups of coffee in his hand. 

“You look like shit,” he says by way of greeting and hands Changkyun a cup, who uncovers it and lets his whole face bask in the coffee-scented steam. 

“Thank you,” Changkyun replies, pushing open the door and walking in, “You do wonders for my self-esteem, Heoney.” They take their seats at the back and Changkyun takes off and folds his jacket, puffing it up on his desk to nap on. Jooheon immediately snatches it away.

“Hey, don’t you fucking fall asleep. Kim is evaluating people for studio recs this week, at least try to make a good impression.”

Changkyun waves him away. “I’ve already submitted my portfolio, and not to be me, but I’m gonna be fine.”

Jooheon calmly picks up his jacket and tosses it on the empty seat next to him. “I seem to remember someone crying into their ramen bowl last week because they had a final project to turn in and had no fucking clue what to work on.” He pokes a scowling Changkyun in his side. “Sit up. You might actually find some inspiration if you pay attention for once.”

Changkyun grumbles to himself as Kim Sunwoo walks in and begins distributing handouts. They’re doing Apollo in renaissance art and his eyes are already beginning to close because Mr. Kim has dimmed the lights and is in the middle of setting up the projector. By the time he begins droning on about Titian’s interpretation of Ovid, Changkyun has drifted off into a light sleep.

He dreams of Kihyun standing in front of the projector, his form outlined against the screen as an elongated shadow with vulpine ears and tails waving like seaweed underwater. The hall is empty save for the two of them and Mr. Kim, who sits in the front row, gazing at Kihyun in open adoration. Jealousy grips Changkyun’s throat and makes breathing difficult as Mr. Kim walks over and kneels at Kihyun’s feet. People pour into the room, Jooheon and Minhyuk among them, and prostrate before Kihyun and he beheads them one by one. Cuts away their limbs lovingly and puts them back together on the wrong bodies. He builds a throne out of them and takes his place on it, blood and entrails soaking his naked skin and matting his hair. His tails fan out behind him and he finally looks up at Changkyun, his face a demented mask of grotesque mirth. 

Changkyun jerks awake with his heart thumping painfully hard in his chest. Panting, he looks ahead at the screen. An ivory Apollo cuts nonchalantly away at a bound Marsyas’s thigh, the satyr’s mouth frozen in a perpetual scream. He looks at the flayed skin and thinks of Kihyun, sat like a king on a throne of limbs, of the immutable animality under his human façade that centuries of blending in had done nothing to change. God or no god, everything about him was punctuated with the grace of one. And if gods were even remotely like Kihyun, Changkyun is certain that transgressors like Marsyas must pay with more than simply their flesh. 

He feels his face heat up with shame and arousal. Jooheon looks over at him, his brows knitted with worry.

“Hey,” he whispers, leaning toward him, “you okay? You look flushed.”

Changkyun takes a deep, calming breath and smiles, thin and brittle. “I’m okay. Just- just had an idea.”

Jooheon beams his most fatherly smile. “See, told you you’ll hit on something if you paid attention.”

Changkyun smiles back and neglects to mention the fact that he had literally dreamed his big idea. What Jooheon didn’t know, wouldn’t hurt him. Besides, he has a plan. A very stupid plan but a plan nonetheless. Best case scenario, he would see Kihyun, his self-proclaimed muse as of a few minutes ago. If not, he would die a very painful, very bloody death. Which, the more he thinks about it, is also a best case scenario so it was bound go to well either way. 

However, he has a whole week to wait in between and time has a tendency to pass like a fly trapped in treacle whenever he is eager for something. He decides to busy himself with classes until then and stocking up on supplies, and ends up spending nearly all of his money on clay and plaster. By Friday, his wallet is crying and he isn’t far behind, but that would have to wait. He has a difficult night ahead of him, made more complicated by Minhyuk who is currently refusing to lend him his can of oil soap.

“I just need a bit of it,” Changkyun begs, hand reaching for the can on Minhyuk’s work table, “I don’t have time to go buy some, Minhyuk please.”

Minhyuk slaps his hand away. “Not until you tell me why you need it.”

“I wanna chug,” Minhyuk crosses his arms over his chest and Changkyun whines, “we’re sculpture majors, dude, why do you think I need it?”

“Tell me what you’re working on. You’re supposed to run your ideas by me, your mentor, your senpai, so I can shoot holes into them and tell you how you’ll never pass sophomore year.”

Changkyun rolls his eyes and glances at the clock on the wall. It is almost seven. He is very nearly late. “Look, can you be nosy later? I promise I’ll tell you all about it but I really need that oil right now.” He puts on his best pout and bats his eyelashes. “Please, Minhyuk.”

Minhyuk’s lip twitches before he sighs and hands over the can. “Fine. You’re no fun. Buy me lunch tomorrow and we’re even.”

Changkyun is already halfway out the door. “Deal,” he calls back, omitting the fact that he is broke and planning to mooch off of Jooheon for the rest of the week, and sprints out of the dorms. He drops by his apartment to put the oil along with all the other tools he will need if tonight goes well, changes into a dark hoodie and jeans for extra stealth, grabs his camera, and heads out. 

He arrives at the club where Kihyun had picked him up and walks in, sticking close to the corners so he can have a good view of the dance floor. His plan is simple. Find Kihyun, follow Kihyun to wherever he is taking his dinner, take pictures of Kihyun in all his bloody glory, and ask Kihyun if he would like to model for his project. If he agrees, great. If he doesn’t, Changkyun would have his pictures for reference. And if he decides he’d rather not let Changkyun live, well he had lived a good twenty years and if he was to die by Kihyun’s hands then so be it. At the heart of it, however, the whole exercise was just an excuse to see Kihyun again but Changkyun liked to pretend he was working when he wasn’t. 

And thus, with nothing to lose and everything to gain, he nurses a single beer and waits. His worst fear is Kihyun not showing up at all but he has a feeling he will and he is proven correct when he spots a familiar figure. His eyes widen significantly because Kihyun’s hair is _silver_ and in his cream shirt and matching trousers, he looks like he has been cut from marble. He has his hands around a woman’s waist and there’s a man behind him, grinding against him. 

Changkyun’s throat goes dry when Kihyun pulls the woman close to dip his tongue into her mouth, one hand reaching between himself and the man. The man shudders and even from this distance, Changkyun can tell that he is moaning softly into Kihyun’s ear as he wraps his arms around his waist and leaves open mouthed kisses on Kihyun’s neck.  
Changkyun’s jeans feel uncomfortably tight and jealous heat curls in his gut. Kihyun had never kissed him, let alone touched him the way he was touching his partners right now. What little self-worth he had accrued in the wake of Kihyun’s visit that night dissolves like paint into thinner as he watches Kihyun turn around and press himself against the man’s chest, kissing the very air out of his lungs. 

Changkyun’s suffering mercifully ends when Kihyun whispers something in the man’s ear and his features go slack. He watches, fascinated as Kihyun begins walking to a door in the back labelled ‘employees only’ and the other two follow like moths to a flame, completely focused on Kihyun. Had Changkyun looked like that too? He supposes he had.

He slips between the people and quietly follows at a safe distance. The door opens into a semi-dark store room and he is just in time to see a door on the far wall shut behind the woman. Changkyun cross the room and carefully opens it. 

Kihyun is standing outside in the grimy alley near the dead end, his eyes glowing a bright gold. The man and woman are on their knees in front of him. Changkyun positions himself just inside the door and removes the camera from its bag at his hip, adjusts the aperture and ISO, and raises it to his eye. 

Kihyun is moving now, reaching his hand toward the man’s chest. There’s a crack and a sickening squelch and the man topples to a side, flopping on the ground like a fish out of water. Kihyun’s arm is red and dripping up to his elbow. In his hands is something dark and fleshy and Changkyun gags against his sleeve as Kihyun raises the thing to his mouth and tears into it. Kihyun’s voice rings in his ear, the threat of having his heart eaten like fruit, and warmth pools in his stomach. He snaps photos as Kihyun repeats the procedure on the woman. His shirt is almost completely soaked with red, as well as the lower half of his face. He looks every bit the proverbial monster of legend, worse in Changkyun’s opinion, and it’s absolutely glorious.

Changkyun is about to crawl out of his hiding place and say hi when Kihyun drops to his knees. For a moment, Changkyun thinks something is wrong with him but the next second he is leaning over the bodies again. There is another horrible, wet noise and Changkyun is blinking at the arm in Kihyun’s hand, ripped neatly out of its socket. Finger frozen on the shutter, Changkyun stares, mouth agape, as Kihyun methodically removes all their limbs and arranges them like cutlery in front of him. 

He is so busy admiring the macabre tableau that he does not hear the door opening behind him, nor the hurried footsteps coming his way. He is only made aware when there is a hand gripping his shoulder and a man peering down at him. He looks pissed. 

“Who the hell are you?” he demands in a nasally, congested voice. 

“Uh,” Changkyun fumbles. The man looks past him into the alley and swears loudly. It makes Kihyun snap his head up, his ears perked up and back arched. Changkyun has a split second to admire his hungry eyes before he is being hauled away.

“Wait, wait!” he yelps but the man is surprisingly strong despite his lean frame and does not let go, “let me go I need to see him!”

The man stops and looks down at him, a puzzled frown on his face. “The fuck did you say?”

Changkyun takes advantage of his loosened hold and bolts out into the alley. It is empty, the two mangled corpses the only thing in sight. 

“Fuck!” he screams, frustrated tears pricking his eyes. “Fuck, fuck, _fuck_!”

He whirls around on the man, glaring daggers at him. “You scared him off, what the fuck is wrong with you-” he shuts up abruptly when the man pulls out a gun and points it at his forehead. 

“I ask the questions here, kid. You have ten seconds to explain who you are and what you were doing here before I blow a hole in your skull.” He clicks the safety off for emphasis. 

Changkyun swallows and raises his hands slowly. “I- I know him.”

“Know who?”

“Kihyun.”

The man blinks and then narrows his eyes. “How the fuck do you know Kihyun? More importantly, how the fuck are you still _alive_?”

Changkyun blushes furiously and the man looks even more suspicious. “It’s a long story, okay? Just please let me go I need to find him.”

“You’re not going anywhere unless you tell me what you were doing, sneaking around in the back of my club.”

Changkyun whines impatiently. “Look, please I need to find him, I have to talk to him, he knows me. I mean he’s not expecting me but he won’t mind, I’m sure-”

He trails off uncertainly. The man stares at him down the barrel of his gun for a long minute before groaning and lowering it. Changkyun breathes, relieved. 

“I have no idea who you are and how you found him,” the man says, holstering the gun at his side and glaring at him, “but you’re alive. Which is something I never thought I’d ever see.” He looks toward the bodies and sighs with exasperation. “Get inside, I’ve got cleaning up to do. If you’re still around by the time we close, I’ll take you to see him.”

Changkyun blinks. “You’ll take me- you know where he is?? _What_ he is??”

The man rolls his eyes and pushes him back inside the store room. “For someone having survived that bastard, you’re pretty slow on the uptake. Just go and drink or something. We close at four.”

The door shuts in his face before he can protest. He looks at his watch and it is only nine. Resigning himself to a long night ahead, he trudges back inside and goes to sit at the bar. The bartender smiles at him, his beefy arms expertly shaking a cocktail. “Can I get you anything?”

“Beer,” Changkyun says glumly and slumps forward onto the counter.

By the time midnight rolls around, he is happily buzzed on his third beer and everything is looking slightly frayed at the edges. He thinks of all his things laid out at his apartment and laughs at himself for ever thinking any of this would go according to plan. The bartender looks over at him occasionally, smiling and making small talk and Changkyun is happy for the company. At least until he ultimately passes out and predictably, dreams of Kihyun again. They are back at the mansion and he has Changkyun pinned underneath him again, except this time he is leaning down, his lips a mere inch from Changkyun’s.

Of course it is then that he is roughly shaken awake by the man from earlier. 

“Get up. I’m not carrying you.”

Changkyun rubs his eyes and looks around. The club is empty, the bartender turning off the last of the lights. He slowly gets off the stool, his head still heavy.

“Where are we going?” he asks sleepily, trudging behind as the man begins walking away. The bartender follows. 

“My house,” the man replies shortly as he waits for all of them to come out and locks up behind them. He turns to the bartender and tosses him a set of keys as they begin walking to the car parked a ways away. 

“You drive. I’m beat.”

The bartender laughs. “Messy night?”

“Tell me about it.” he turns to Changkyun and glares at him weakly, his eyes too tired to do it properly. “I’m Hyungwon. That’s Hoseok. What’s your name?”

“Changkyun,” he replies, opening the back door and sliding in. 

Hoseok starts the car and Hyungwon slumps bonelessly in his seat. “I’m gonna nap. You can nap too. We live kind of far from here.”

Changkyun hums a thanks and is immediately out like a light. 

When he comes to, they are parking in front of a nondescript house surrounded by trees on all sides. Hoseok turns off the engine and gets out to come to the passenger side. 

“Come on,” he tells Changkyun as he gathers a sleeping Hyungwon in his arms and picks him up. Changkyun follows wordlessly as they climb up to the porch. Hoseok instructs him to wait by the door and carries Hyungwon up the stairs. 

Standing in the narrow entryway, Changkyun tries to take a look around the house but it is far too dark to properly see. He gropes along the wall for a light switch and but miscalculates his footing and slams his foot into the shoe cabinet by the side. 

“Fuck!” he curses, grabbing his injured foot and hopping awkwardly on the other. The lights come on around him and he looks up to see Kihyun, his eyes bright gold and wide, fingers elongated into claws. 

“Changkyun?” he squeaks in disbelief as he blinks his eyes back to their usual honey color. Changkyun lets go of his foot and raises a hand awkwardly.

“Hi,” he says in a small voice.

“What- how did you get here??” 

Changkyun opens his mouth to reply but is interrupted by Hoseok, who is scurrying down the stairs.

“Wonnie invited him,” he says quickly, glancing toward Changkyun, “I’m sorry, I thought he’d told you, Ki.”

“No,” Kihyun murmurs, his eyes fixed on Changkyun, “he didn’t tell me shit.” He turns to Hoseok. “What were you thinking, bringing him here?!”

Hoseok raises his hands in surrender. “Hey, not my idea. I don’t know what he said to Wonnie to convince him-”

“He didn’t,” they all look up at the top of the stairs where Hyungwon stands, looking very much like a Disney villain. From his tone of voice, Changkyun is sure he feels like one too. Hyungwon slowly descends the stairs, yawning now and then. 

“Care to explain,” Kihyun speaks through gritted teeth, “why you decided to bring a _human_ to our house?”

Changkyun shivers despite himself. An angry Kihyun was a hot Kihyun. 

“No particular reason,” Hyungwon shrugs, leaning against the banister at the bottom of the staircase, “except that he knows who you are and is somehow, miraculously, alive.” He stares at Kihyun pointedly, “you wanna explain why that is? ‘Cause that’s not how things work around here.”

Kihyun pinches his mouth closed and glares at a spot on the opposite wall. The ensuing silence is thick and tense, and Changkyun feels increasingly like he is eavesdropping on a private conversation, which he kind of is, considering how he is practically invisible to the other three. 

“Guys,” Hoseok says at last, his voice tentative, “not the time, seriously.”

Hyungwon scoffs and Kihyun glares at him.

“Let me talk to him,” he grits out, “ _alone_ ,” he adds firmly. Hyungwon rolls his eyes and walks back up the stairs. Hoseok smiles apologetically at Changkyun, pats Kihyun’s shoulder, and follows Hyungwon. For a long time, Kihyun just stands there, glaring at the floor. Trepidation swirls in Changkyun’s chest and he considers texting Jooheon and Minhyuk his final goodbyes while Kihyun decides how best to kill him. Maybe he has time to type out a really short will. Not that he has much to bequeath to anyone. Jooheon can have his videogames and Minhyuk can have his oil soap back…

Kihyun’s voice shakes him out of his reverie. “Come with me,” he says and disappears into a room on his left. Hesitantly, Changkyun steps after him. Kihyun has moved to sit on the couch, his legs tucked underneath him. _Cute_ , Changkyun thinks as he takes a seat on the other end. They are silent for another few minutes.

“What are you-”

“I don’t wanna be-”

Changkyun laughs awkwardly and motions for Kihyun to speak. He purses his lips and breathes through his nose.

“What are you doing here?” he asks coldly. 

Changkyun grimaces. _Oh he’s mad_. “Um. I wanted to- see you, I guess…”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Kihyun snaps and Changkyun winces. “I think I made it clear that I didn’t want to see you again. And if this is about some stupid kink of yours, I want absolutely no part of it.”

Changkyun’s ears blaze. “What- no! No, I just, I wanted to see you.” Kihyun is still glaring at him, which is honestly doing nothing to help the blood rushing south. He swallows hard and clears his throat. “I um I actually had something to ask you.”

Kihyun raises an eyebrow and Changkyun almost asks him to crush him under the soles of his sturdiest boots. 

“Well?” Kihyun snaps. 

“Uh would you maybe model for me?” Changkyun gushes, his cheeks flaming. Kihyun frowns and Changkyun reaches out unthinkingly, pressing a fingertip to his wrinkled forehead. 

Kihyun blinks. “What are you doing?” Changkyun licks his lips and decides to push his luck.

“Um. You’re frowning.”

Kihyun frowns harder. “So?”

 _Cute, cute, cute_. Changkyun bites his lip on a giggle and scoots closer. “So don’t frown, silly. Put those lines away.”

Kihyun slowly eases up, still eyeing Changkyun with a mixture of apprehension and puzzlement. Changkyun removes his finger and sits back again, his heart pounding. 

“I saw you,” he admits, “tonight. I came to see you.”

Kihyun looks away. “I figured. Still don’t know what would possess you to let two strangers bring you out of town in the middle of the night.” He eyes Changkyun up and down. “Do you have no concept of stranger danger?”

“Hyungwon said he knew you,” Changkyun says, shrugging. Kihyun is looking at him like can’t decide if he thinks Changkyun is incurably stupid, naively trusting, or both. 

“They could have killed you and nobody would have known.” He says casually.

“Are they-?”

Kihyun nods. Changkyun’s mouth opens in a surprised ‘o’. There is silence once again before Kihyun exhales sharply.

“Why are you really here, Changkyun?” he asks finally. Changkyun shifts uncomfortably, picking at a stray thread on the couch. 

“I told you. I wanted to ask you to model for me,” he mumbles, “I’m majoring in sculpture. I could just mould your likeness from the pictures I took-”

“You _what_ now-?”

“-but I’d really, really like it if I had a live model, and I’d like it if it were you,” Changkyun finishes, slightly out of breath. He shifts closer and nervously reaches for Kihyun’s hand, taking it gently. Kihyun looks incredibly torn.

“Why would you want that?” he whispers hoarsely. 

Changkyun bites his lip. “Who wouldn’t want to sculpt a god?” 

Kihyun twitches but does not push him away so he moves closer, taking both of Kihyun’s hands and pressing them to his lips. Kihyun does not move and Changkyun grows desperate. He needs this. He is so close. 

“Please,” he breathes, “I- I want you, Kihyun, I told you that night too, I want-”

Kihyun snarls and pushes him back, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Changkyun gasps as he straddles him, a hand gripping his neck, choking him slowly, his mouth skirting his jaw and lower, dangerously close to his jugular. 

“’Want me’?” he mocks, squeezing tighter until Changkyun wheezes, “Get in line, kid. Everyone wants me. What makes your scrawny ass so special, hm?”

He loosens his grip enough to let Changkyun speak and Changkyun coughs, gasping for air. 

“They- they don’t- they won’t want you like I do,” he manages and takes a deep breath, reaching up to caress Kihyun’s cheek. Kihyun snarls but does not pull away. 

“I know what you are, Kihyun,” Changkyun whispers, “I know what you do. I know what you want. And I can give it to you.” He pushes himself up to his elbows and puts his mouth to Kihyun’s ear. “Please let me be the one to give it to you.”

Kihyun shivers and pulls away and Changkyun whines desperately, reaching up to pull him back in. Kihyun presses a palm against his chest and glares.

“Fine,” he says, his eyes flashing, “I’ll model for you.” He gets off the couch in one swift motion and looks over his shoulder, sighing impatiently. “I’ll get you blankets and a pillow. Your dumb ass probably didn’t think about how you were going to get back home.”

Changkyun sputters, embarrassed, as Kihyun walks out into the hall. When he comes back, he also has a mug in his hand. 

“It’s chamomile,” he explains, his ears a little red, “you look like you haven’t been sleeping well.”

Changkyun smiles gratefully up at him and takes the mug. “Thank you,” he says softly and Kihyun nods awkwardly in return and turns to leave.

“Can I ask you something?” Changkyun blurts out. Kihyun sighs but nods anyway. Changkyun looks down into his mug to avoid eye contact.

“Earlier… you looked like you were having fun,” he says, voice barely above a whisper, his chest uncomfortably tight, “you never kissed me or anything. Did you… did you not like me?”

He waits for Kihyun to scoff and agree but he does neither. Instead, he sighs tiredly and drops to his knees in front of Changkyun. Carefully, he takes the mug from Changkyun’s hands and deposits it on the table. Then, he cups Changkyun’s face between his palms and kisses him. It is short, the barest of pressure against his lips, but it is enough to make Changkyun freeze completely. Kihyun kisses him again, a bit harder this time, and then pulls away. 

“Goodnight, Changkyun,” he says, getting to his feet. Before Changkyun can form any sort of reply, he is gone. 

The next morning Hoseok drives him back to his apartment. He sees neither Kihyun nor Hyungwon before he leaves and there is something heavy sitting at the pit of his stomach the entire ride back. Hoseok notices and smiles reassuringly.

“Don’t worry about Ki. He’ll be okay. He just needs that stick up his ass removed.”

Changkyun snorts and looks out the window. He contemplates his next question for a few minutes but Hoseok is nice enough, friendlier than his friends at least, and Changkyun is nothing if not bold and a little tactless, so he decides to just ask. 

“Why did Kihyun let me go? I mean, from the way Hyungwon reacted, it doesn’t look like he usually spares anyone he picks up.”

Hoseok hums noncommittally. “We have rules. No loose ends.”

Changkyun nods quickly. “Yeah well, look at me, I’m practically begging to be eaten, you know? I told him he could and he just- didn’t.” He whispers towards the end and slumps in his seat. 

Hoseok is quiet for a moment. Then he shoots Changkyun a glance.

“Did you really do that? Beg him to kill you?”

Changkyun nods, blushing profusely. Hoseok chuckles. 

“What else did you say?”

Changkyun examines his face to see if he is being picked on but Hoseok looks earnest and genuinely interested. Changkyun looks out the window, thoroughly embarrassed. 

“Just- you know. I wanted him to f-f-,” _Nope, can’t say it_. He swallows. “I asked him to do whatever. Just… wanted him. In any way I could get. Still do,” he adds in a tiny voice.

Hoseok reaches out a hand and ruffles his hair gently. 

“Kihyun is, well,” he bites his lip contemplatively, “a bit difficult. And he generally just hunts or fucks around. He can’t exactly look for something else. We hunt through seduction and that wears off as soon as the tails come out,” he laughs and Changkyun cracks a smile, “so you can imagine his surprise at your keenness, tails or no tails.”

Changkyun stares down at his lap. “Did I fuck it up?”

“I don’t know, honestly” Hoseok replies, “maybe you did. Maybe he just needs time to process it. Humans run the other way at the mere mention of us. Wonnie and I are together so it doesn’t really matter but Kihyun has been alone for a long, long time. I can imagine it being extremely disconcerting to have a human tell a demon they wanna be railed, no fucks given.”

Changkyun chokes on air and sputters. Hoseok laughs and they are silent for a while, the low hum of the radio the only sound in the car. Then Changkyun sits up.

“Demon. You said demon,” he says suddenly. Hoseok raises an eyebrow, his eyes still on the road. “Yeah?”

“You’re demons,” Changkyun declares triumphantly, “Wikipedia said so too.”

Hoseok looks over at him, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. “I’m sure it did.”

“So then, why did Kihyun say he was a god?”

The smile slips off his lips and Hoseok tightens his jaw. “Did he now?”

“Yeah,” Changkyun says hesitantly, “uh I’m sorry is that bad?”

Hoseok shakes his head and smiles again, a sad, slow curl of his lips. “No, no it isn’t.”

“Then why-”

“Sorry, kiddo. Not my place to answer that.” He checks the GPS and turns the corner to Changkyun’s building. “Here we are.”

Changkyun thanks him, still dissatisfied but he figures he will live. He is shutting the car door when Hoseok leans over.

“I’m serious,” he says gently, “don’t worry about Kihyun. He’ll come around.”

Changkyun nods and watches as Hoseok drives away. 

He thinks of what to do as he rides the elevator up to his floor. Kihyun had agreed but in classic Kihyun fashion, had not deigned to let Changkyun know when he would show up. He decides to clean his apartment anyway. Maybe order take out? What would Kihyun like? His stomach churns immediately. _Okay scratch that_.

He gets out of the elevator to see none other than Lee Minhyuk standing outside his door. He grins wide when he spots Changkyun.

“Oh goodie, you’re here!” he surveys Changkyun from head to toe, “where were you? Did you sleep in these clothes?” He gasps, eyes wide, “did you spend the night somewhere else?”

Changkyun nudges him out of the way to unlock his door. “Too many questions, too early in the morning. Why are you here anyway?”

“Well then tell me where you were,” Minhyuk persists, following him in and flopping down on the couch. “And I’m here for our lunch date.”

“It’s ten in the morning.”

“Time flies by in good company,” Minhyuk says cheerfully, “Now tell me where you were.”

“At a friend’s”

Minhyuk snorts. “Shut up, you don’t have any other friends and you sure as hell weren’t with Jooheon ‘cause he was at my place.”

Changkyun raises an eyebrow as he pours himself a glass of water and tosses Minhyuk a can of diet coke. He had been meaning to ask about that. 

“Right, that. What’s going on with you two?”

Minhyuk blinks unevenly, popping open the can and taking a sip. “What do you mean?” he asks innocently.

Changkyun eyes him suspiciously and sits down next to him. “Did you two fuck that night at the club?”

Minhyuk chokes, spilling his drink down his front. Changkyun watches, amused, as he takes another sip, trying to look dignified despite the stained front of his shirt still dripping onto his lap. 

“That is absurd.” Minhyuk wheezes.

“Getting with your best friend?”

“No, _you’re_ absurd for thinking that!”

Changkyun shrugs nonchalantly. “I saw you two headed to the bathroom.”

“You were piss drunk! You even made up a whole story about a goddamn fox demon!”

Changkyun bristles. “I didn’t make anything up, he was there. In fact,” he squares his chest defiantly, “I was with him last night.”

Minhyuk narrows his eyes suspiciously. “No you weren’t.”

“I was,” Changkyun insists, “he’s my new muse. He’s coming over later to model for me.” 

He instantly regrets saying that last bit because Minhyuk has that determined glint in his eye that usually puts the fear of god in Jooheon’s already terrified soul.

“I wanna meet him,” Minhyuk declares.

“No,” Changkyun replies flatly. Minhyuk glares at him. 

“I wanna.”

“No.”

“Why not?? Don’t you want me to believe you?”

Changkyun rolls his eyes and gets up. “You should believe me anyway. I’m your best friend. And why the hell would I lie about this?”

“Honestly that part escapes me.” Minhyuk replies thoughtfully.

Changkyun retrieves the vacuum from the hall closet and gestures to Minhyuk to put his feet up. “Don’t work your little brain so hard. I’m really busy today so we’re gonna have to postpone that lunch. I promise I’ll make it up to you but this is really important to me, okay? I can’t introduce him to you guys yet.” He bites his lip uncertainly. “Honestly, I don’t even know what I’m doing or why I’m doing it. All I know is that I like him. A lot. And I want him to like me too.”

Minhyuk looks at him long and hard, his face unreadable. 

“You’re not in trouble, are you?” he asks finally, tone sober, “you’ve been weird ever since last Friday and now you have a new friend out of the blue? Not to mention the fire. You can’t blame me for thinking it’s all a bit sketchy.”

Changkyun puts the vacuum on the floor and sighs. He knows how it looks, how he looks. But he also has no way of explaining to his friends what draws him to Kihyun in the first place. It is too new, too dangerous, and to a saner person, completely deranged. But he also cannot deny the thrill he gets each time he thinks of Kihyun soaked in some poor sod’s blood, of flesh tearing like paper between his teeth, his delicate hands holding a still beating heart. It’s all too visceral to explain. He would be carted off to a madhouse before he knows it. 

“I’m completely fine,” he lies instead, trying not to wither under Minhyuk’s scrutiny. “It’s all good. I’m safe. Don’t worry about it.”

Minhyuk doesn’t respond. Just looks at Changkyun like he’s trying to root out the lie with his eyes. Changkyun shifts uncomfortably and Minhyuk sighs. He gets up and smiles wearily.

“Alright.” 

Changkyun follows him to the door where he turns around and hesitates.

“I know I can be too much,” he begins slowly, “but I really do care about you. You’re an adult and you can choose what’s good for you, but just know that I’m here if you need me.” He opens his arms wide and Changkyun laughs before moving forward into them. 

“Thank you,” he says sincerely. Minhyuk squeezes him back and walks down the hall to the elevator.

Changkyun closes the door with a heavy heart, guilt eating away inside of him. _It’s for their own safety_ , he reassures himself because he may be inclined to worship the ground Kihyun walks on but he also fully knows Kihyun won’t hesitate to murder his friends in cold blood. He feels giddy at the thought of being the only one allowed to know Kihyun this way. 

“Like Chris Pratt with the raptors,” he squeaks out loud and immediately busies himself with the vacuum to suppress the subsequent image of Kihyun in cargo pants with sweaty armpits. 

By the time he has vacuumed the entire apartment, done the dishes and shoved all his dirty laundry into a bag, it is just past noon. He takes a shower, makes some maruchan, and searches for something to watch on Netflix to pass the time. He is halfway through season one of Broadchurch when there is a knock on his door. He puts his laptop away and gets out of bed, wondering if Minhyuk was back with Jooheon as reinforcement. But it’s neither of them. 

It’s Kihyun, a scowl on his face and hands in the pockets of his jeans, and his hair is-

“Green,” Changkyun breathes, blinking fast. Kihyun raises a questioning brow and Changkyun swallows, his throat suddenly dry. “Um, how did you get up here?”

Kihyun ignores the question. “Are you going to invite me in?”

“O-oh of course,” Changkyun scrambles out of the way, “I wasn’t expecting you to- I mean- I thought you’d use the window-”

Kihyun looks over his shoulder and frowns. “I’m not an animal, Changkyun.”

“But that night-”

“Easy exit,” Kihyun shrugs and walks up to stand next to the couch. He turns around. “So. Where’s your studio?”

 _Straight to business, huh_. Changkyun gestures to the small, doorless room next to his bedroom sheepishly. “It’s… not exactly a studio. Just a small space until I get something bigger.” He leads Kihyun inside and ushers him over to a stool near the wall. He quickly turns on all the lights, including the clip-on at his worktable and begins removing the wrapper from the clay. “It’s actually why I’m doing this. We’re gonna be assigned studio space based on our portfolios next semester and I need one final project to submit for eval. If I make it, I’ll have a proper space to put all my stuff.” 

He turns around to find Kihyun next to the shelf where he has stored all his smaller pieces. Changkyun holds his breath as Kihyun fingers a bronze figurine, bent over backwards over a slab of stone. 

“Did you make all of these?” Kihyun asks, sweeping his gaze over the others, his eyes resting for a second on a plaster bust Changkyun had done of Jooheon, and flitting back to the figurine.

“Um yeah,” Changkyun replies, trying not to feel too self-conscious. Kihyun hums in acknowledgment and brushes his fingers over an abstract piece done in clay.

“Matisse?” he asks and Changkyun blinks. 

“Yes,” he replies, surprised, “well that one is. My favorite is Claudel.”

Kihyun snorts and shakes his head. “Of course she is.”

Changkyun flushes and gestures to the stool. “Well, this time I’m going a bit more classical. Goes with the concept.”

“What, nothing preppy?”

“I resent you calling Claudel a prep but moving on,” Changkyun moves back to his worktable, sets up his board and unrolls his tool bag. “I’m gonna do a free-standing figure of you on a throne.”

Kihyun narrows his eyes. “A throne?”

Changkyun nods. “Kind of. You’ll see when it’s done.” But Kihyun shakes his head.

“Tell me about your idea first. I need to know what I’m consenting to put my face to.”

“It’s nothing bad, I swear,” Changkyun says quickly and rubs the back of his neck. “I thought it’d be boring for you hear the details.”

“I’ve been around for centuries, Changkyun. I have the patience of a saint.” Kihyun looks at him pointedly. “I thought bending to your whims was enough proof of that.”

Changkyun goes very red and looks away. “Um. Right. So. My idea.” He takes a seat at the rickety chair behind him and tries to gather his thoughts. “I haven’t run it by anyone so it might be a bit muddled.” He closes his eyes and tries to picture the image he had dreamed of. It’s clear as day in his mind.

“It’s about order. A delicate balance. Picture a god people both adore and fear but more than that, they want to be him. Arachne thinks she is better than Athena. Marsyas thinks he can outplay Apollo. Hell, Cuchulain thinks he can fight the fucking sea and win. And each time, the ending is the same. They get their asses handed to them and the balance is restored but we sympathize with the punished because we’re human and mortal and that’s where our allegiance is supposed to lie right? At least that’s what I used to think until I met you.”

Changkyun looks up and Kihyun is staring at him, his face blank but eyes alight with a fire that promises terrible things if he deems a line has been crossed. Changkyun shivers and continues feverishly. “It’s idiotic to think it’s a level playing field because it’s not. It never has been. And every religion ever has tried to foolishly bridge that gap between god and man, tried to make us feel like we’re being heard and loved and looked after when really, why the fuck would god even care what we think??” He gets up and walks on shaky steps, dropping to his knees in front of Kihyun. “I look at you and I feel so _small_. So weak and pathetic and so not worthy of your time. And you know what? I accept that because I know I can never be you, not even close. I don’t even want to be. This power, this godhood, it’s _yours_. And all I want is to mould the shape of you with my own hands, just so I can hit the final nail in the coffin of my inadequacy.”

He pants, his hands quivering and Kihyun looks back, his face still blank but colder now. He looks every bit the predator he is and Changkyun doesn’t know whether to fear for his life or melt into a puddle of horny goo. He is betting on the former when Kihyun glides to his feet, his eyes spinning gold, and all of his tails uncoiling behind him, poised in the air like snakes on Medusa’s head. He stares down at Changkyun like he is mud crusted on the sole of his boot.

“You have some nerve,” he speaks and his voice cuts like ice into Changkyun’s skin, “to make me come to you just so you can do this with extra theatricality. Is that how badly you want to die?”

Changkyun blinks, confused. “Wha-”

Kihyun grabs him by the throat and slams him against the wall, jostling the sculptures above his head dangerously close to toppling over. He squeezes until Changkyun’s face goes an unflattering shade of purple and his eyes bug out of their sockets. 

“I should have killed you when I had the chance,” Kihyun snarls, “how fucking dare you disrespect me?”

_What?_

Changkyun paws desperately at his arm, his legs kicking fruitlessly in the air. Kihyun’s face hardens as he abruptly lets go and Changkyun collapses in a heap on the floor. He coughs violently, feeling his lungs shrivel up. His throat feels like it’s barbed on the inside. Kihyun watches him, disgust marring his delicate features as he struggles to breathe and form words.

“N-no,” he gets out and coughs again. There doesn’t seem to be enough air in the room and he desperately needs to talk. “I- no- did- didn’t- mean-”

Kihyun sneers. “Shut up. I’d be impressed by your audacity if I didn’t think you were so completely ignorant. God? Don’t fucking patronize me, you know I’m a lesser demon. You’ve known it all along. I let you live because you begged me like little bitch and I couldn’t stand your whining anymore. But now I really wish I’d done with you what I do to every piece of trash that I pick up.”

He aims a sharp kick to Changkyun’s side and Changkyun doubles over in pain. “I’m going to kill you, Im Changkyun. I’m going to tear you to pieces and scatter your remains all over your apartment for your friends to find.”

“ _Kihyun_ ,” Changkyun gasps, pain shooting up his side and clogging his throat, “Kihyun, please I wasn’t trying to insult you, please I swear-,”

Kihyun grabs him by his hair and begins dragging him out into the lounge. Changkyun cries out in pain, scrabbling at his hands.

“Kih-Kihyun no please, I wasn’t insulting you,” He cries pathetically as Kihyun pulls him across the floor. “The whole project- the whole idea was for _you_! It doesn’t matter who you are because to me you are a god no matter what anyone says,” he reaches up to grasp at Kihyun’s arm, tears streaming down his face, “how can I insult you when I'm pretty sure I’m in love with you?!”

Kihyun stops and looks down at him, disbelief mixed with suspicion on his face. He lets go of Changkyun’s hair and his head hits the floor.

“What did you say?” 

Changkyun groans, rubbing the back of his head and massaging his scalp. He looks up at Kihyun nervously. “I… I might be um in love with you?”

Kihyun stares at him. “You’ve known me for a week.”

“Yes,” Changkyun agrees easily.

“I’ve tried to kill you every time we’ve met.”

“I remember.”

“I am literally a demon people scare their kids with.”

Changkyun flushes. “I’m aware.”

“And?”

Changkyun sits up and gingerly rubs his throat, avoiding eye contact. “So, none of that matters. I like you. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. And I kind of shit myself when you get pissed but it’s also really, really hot and yeah,” he looks up hesitantly. Kihyun is frowning, looking completely taken aback.

“Are you insane?” he says weakly, “I’m a demon.”

Changkyun winces and gets to his feet, wary of the tails and keeping a foot of distance between them just in case. “Kihyun, it has been one week and you already have me simping so hard, I would give both my kidneys to take you out.”

“I have you doing _what_ now?”

Changkyun waves it away. “Never mind. Just. Do you believe me? You don’t have to be my model or reciprocate anything. I just want you to know how I feel about you and believe it. You can kill me if you like but nothing will change that.”

Kihyun shakes his head, disbelief still evident on his face. So Changkyun moves closer and carefully takes his hand. He threads their fingers together and pulls. Kihyun slowly falls forward against him, resting his forehead on Changkyun’s shoulder, his breathing ragged.

“I don’t- I’ve never had anything-” he stammers, hand coming up to fist in the front of Changkyun’s shirt. Changkyun wraps an arm around his shoulders and squeezes their clasped hands reassuringly.

“It’s okay. I’ve never exactly done this before either but it’s a learning curve.” He runs his fingers through Kihyun’s hair. “We can figure it out together.”

Kihyun inhales sharply and detangles his hand to wrap both his arms around Changkyun’s neck, burying his nose at the junction of his neck and collarbone. Changkyun feels his heart stutter and give out as he feels Kihyun melting against him, his body sagging in relief. He hugs Kihyun back, humming contentedly against his ear and rocking them gently on their feet. 

“Hyungwon’s going to be so pissed,” Kihyun says eventually.

Changkyun chuckles. “Yeah, so is Minhyuk. He’s a bit loud so you have to promise not to kill him.”

“No promises,” Kihyun pulls away and looks at him, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. Changkyun whines.

“God I love it when you threaten people’s lives, but I literally have two friends and I’ll be very sad if they die.”

Kihyun scoffs. “Does it look like I care?” 

And before Changkyun can reply, he is pulled forward and Kihyun is kissing him, his lips soft and warm against Changkyun’s slightly chapped ones. Changkyun freezes in surprise, his entire body tingling with warmth, but then Kihyun’s tongue is gently prying open his mouth and that is pretty much the end of all thoughts in general. Both of Kihyun’s hands are on either side of his face and he is making tiny, happy noises as he licks into Changkyun’s mouth and Changkyun decides to go in for the kill and tug him flush against himself. Kihyun whines into his mouth and the vibration goes straight to Changkyun’s cock. He kisses Kihyun feverishly before pulling away for air.

“I- you- can I-?”

Kihyun breathes hard and gives a sharp nod, and Changkyun’s knees hit the ground the very next second. Kihyun is already hard in his jeans and Changkyun quickly unzips and pulls them down to bunch around his thighs. Kihyun gasps and leans against the couch armrest for support, suppressing a full-body shudder as Changkyun pulls down his briefs.  
He hisses softly when Changkyun leans forward and licks experimentally at the tip and that’s all it takes for Changkyun to wrap his mouth around the head and suck hard. Kihyun moans, startled, snapping his hips forward and Changkyun almost gags when Kihyun’s cock hits the back of his throat. He quickly gets his bearings, however, grips Kihyun’s thighs and goes about it in earnest. 

He had wanted to take it slow, to really savor Kihyun’s taste on his tongue, take his time to admire him like he deserved to be but there is no time for that because Kihyun is moaning softly above him and the pressure between his own legs is almost too much to bear. He shoves a hand down the front of his sweatpants, sucking at Kihyun’s cock so hard it makes his jaw hurt and Kihyun keen, his fingers tightening in Changkyun’s hair. 

Changkyun deep throats him until he eyes water and Kihyun almost bends over him, whispering breathy moans and praises. Changkyun feels his stomach clench and Kihyun whispers a warning but he doubles down and sucks harder, his tongue swirling around the shaft in a way he knows feels good and Kihyun mumbles a soft _oh god_ and comes. 

Changkyun swallows dutifully and pulls off to press his nose into the fine hair at the base of Kihyun’s cock, reveling in the heat of his trembling thighs as he jerks himself off. Kihyun makes an inquisitive noise above him.

“Changkyun-”

“I’m fine,” he grits out, his hand fisting around himself and moving faster but Kihyun coos softly and brushes his fingers against his cheek in so tender a manner that Changkyun turns his face into the soft skin of Kihyun’s stomach and comes all over his hand. He stays there for a bit, breathing his sweet scent until Kihyun cards his fingers through his hair.

“Hey.”

“Ngh.”

“I know you can hear me.”

“Mmm no not really.”

Kihyun huffs. “I came here to model for your project.”

“Don’t know what you mean.”

Kihyun tugs at his hair, halfhearted but insistent and Changkyun allows himself to be pulled to his feet. He smiles dopily at Kihyun who looks about as blissed out as Changkyun himself feels, his cheeks flushed and eyes a bit hazy. 

“Hey.”

Kihyun tries and fails to fight a smile. “Hey.”

“I think you crossed some wires inside, I’m all woozy.”

Kihyun tucks himself back into his jeans and pulls Changkyun’s sweats up. “One of my many charms. Get used to it.” He leans in to kiss Changkyun again, slow and deep, knocking all coherent thought out of his head, and walks away. Changkyun stands there, slightly swaying on his feet, blinking rapidly.

“Well?” Kihyun calls from the doorway of his studio. “Are you coming?”

“Yeah,” Changkyun says with a breathless laugh, warmth unspooling like a fine thread in his chest as he moves toward him, “yeah. I’m here.”

**Author's Note:**

> ask me any questions you may have in the comments  
> im here too  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ajghar1)  
> thank you for reading!


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